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SOUTHERN EUROPE'S SOPHISTICATED CAPITAL CITY HAS MUCH TO OFFER Somewhere over the rainbow is the delightful city of Lisbon, Lisboa in Portuguese, awaiting your discovery. This stunning view is taken from a second-story room in the renowned Altis Belem Hotel in the Belem district, near famed Belem Tower.   A stroll from the Altis Belem Hotel took our travelers to nearby Belem Tower. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER AH, WHAT  a lovely city. The Tagus River meanders through the Alfama, or old quarter, urging walkers to follow it, and soak up the sights, sounds and smells of centuries of progress, a horrible earthquake and more explorers per capita perhaps than any small country. Old and sturdy, with exciting new buildings going up, Portugal is proud of its maritime tradition and its knowledge of the sea. The museums of Lisbon celebrate the rich history and culture of this Portuguese capital city. The Maritime Museum is perfect for families who adore all things nautical. My partner, Keller, was fascinated.  We went back a second day. The museums focused on everything from Lisbon's rich maritime past to decorative Portuguese tiles, and everything in between A wooden ship in the Maritime museum is said to be a replica of  Vasco de Gama's. THERE'S A FADO museum paying tribute to the national musical form, and other gorgeous museums, hidden gems with colorful artwork, tucked in the corners and streets near fun restaurants and inviting squares. To appreciate the city’s dramatic stone architecture, take a guided walking tour.  It will point out the fascinating Maritime Museum, one of the most important in Europe, evoking Portugal's domination of the seas. Its colossal 17,000 items are installed in the west wing of Jeronimos Monastery, and include model ships from the Age of Discovery and onward. The oldest exhibit is an beatific wooden figure from a ship said to represent the Archangel Raphael that accompanied Vasco de Gama on his voyage to India. Lisbon is rich in sculpture.  LISBON IS  as fascinating and cohesive as other larger European cities, with its gorgeous architecture and beautifully preserved old quarter.  The city fairly glistens in its prime seaport spot. Lisbon's gothic and Romanesque cathedral features many tombs, including Vasco DeGama's.  One of Europe's most unsung and least visited cultural capitals, Lisbon is often overlooked in favor of Paris, Rome and the Scandinavian capitals. Altis Belem hotel's amenities are world class, including fine beverages. BUT THERE  is so much to do in Lisbon you might plan a week. In only a few days, one can a lot of  Lisbon's options, many of which turn out to be those glorious large and small museums, churches and castles. Almost everything is made more affordable by the purchase of a Lisboa card, offering free and discounted admissions to dozens of activities including the Metro. With its people welcoming, proud and polite, the nicely dressed Lisboans are eager to serve up a meal of seafood or sausage, with a glass of port, for which Portugal is known. IMPRESSIVE  monuments abound in Lisbon, many along the banks of the river.  The monument to the "Discoveries" is one of our favorites, where Prince Henry the Navigator sits at the helm of an enormous marble ship's bow. The Discoveries monument in Lisbon is a stunning ode to exploration. It honors Portuguese explorers who contributed to the country's famed "Golden Age of Discovery."  Seeing it is a must, along with a visit to the serene Jeronimos Monastery.  Don't miss the Golden Gate replica and the enormous Christo Rei Statue across the river.  We strolled to Belem Tower, from our hotel.  Built    in the early 16th century, it is a prominent example of the Portuguese Manueline style,  with hints of other architectural styles.  The structure was built from lioz limestone and thus withstood the earthquake that leveled much of the city. The Alfama offers many unique sights, including this door. OUR RECENT  visit featured a stay at the Altis Belém Hotel and spa, a five- star design hotel in Belém, walking distance to the castle and overlooking the Tagus River. This unique hotel makes clever use of Lisbon's Golden Age of Discovery, complete with 50 themed luxury rooms and five suites. Beautiful paneling and locales visited by Portugal's daring navigators and explorers take the traveler to Mauritania in Africa, through India and Japan, and even across the Atlantic to Brazil. You'll also enjoy the gourmet treats from Restaurant Feitoria, where we had several late suppers and beautiful buffet breakfasts. The Spa is highly recommended, although in our full five days, we didn't have the time to get there! The Stillwater Protective Association maintains a  "good neighbor" credo. COMING SOON:   What fun to live in the west and be part of an exciting stewardship program. Stillwater Protective Association is having its major fundraiser today and we'll share the goods with you Wednesday.  Plus coming soon: Travails of building a major addition. It takes skill, talent, elbow grease and patience. Do our travelers have that?  At least one of them has all four.  The other lacks a couple of the imperatives.  Remember to explore, learn and live and visit us Wednesdays and weekends at www.whereiscookie.com

Master builder Bruce Keller, whose specialty is high-end La Jolla, Calif., projects, is spending part of his summer in the Beartooths, helping Cookie with their summer home. REMODELING POINTER: YOU WILL EVENTUALLY HAVE BEAUTY,BUT AT A PRICE! PATIENCE IS A PRE-REQUISITE Expert framer Tom Giamanco traveled from San Diego to help. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER WAAAAAAAAH. RICKY. I've been making my own personal "I Love Lucy" home movie.  I'm thinking of the famous chocolate candy assembly line, or the grape stomping scene.  I can't remember ever being so frustrated, excited, confused, over-extended and overwhelmed -- with more than a little physical pain thrown into the mix. KELLER knew I'd always wanted a "tree house" in the second story.  With mature aspen, beautiful stars and sky, and a backdrop of gorgeous mountains, large windows to frame the view seem a natural. With bird feeders out the new shower skylight. KELLER MADE it happen.  But it had been 22 years since I'd walked the construction trail, and my moccasins were out of step.  This major overhaul of the second-floor rooms involves the whole house: addition of a new bathroom and bedroom, redo of the office and library, a new solarium bedroom and redesign of the entryway and first floor walkway. Landscaping was torn up. Siding was torn off.  "Demo" -- contractor lingo for "demolition" -- involves destruction beyond belief. I've feared for the lives of our Yorkies, Nick and Nora, lest they be hit by flying debris.  I've been a weepy mess. Tom, painter Jim Slater and Keller keep the Yorkies,  Nick and Nora, safely out of harm's way. BUT HOLD ON. There's bound to be trial and tribulation when people are living in the home being remodeled.  And although Keller's budget estimate was close -- within a few thousand of his original estimate --  the money has been flying out the window like the cliff swallows circling at dusk. Throw in various unrelated annoyances, the ordering, delays, wrong materials, unreliable deliveries and etc.etc.etc.: Plus: Cookie, arm in sling and looking more than a bit overwhelmed, fixes lunch for the troops and awaits her "Calm" pill to kick in.  *Two flat tires on the Explorer were followed by a blow-out on the truck. Darrel Holmquist located the septic  tank and prepared for addition  of a new sewer line to new bathroom. *The refrigerator died three days after we arrived July 1. Because it fits under a custom made cupboard, it is a special heighth and thus a special order.  We were three weeks living out of coolers with the back-up 70-year old Frigidaire in the garage (thank goodness for it.) *One of the toilets in the older parts of the home checked out.  Or was it the plumbing Bruce Keller, left, and Bradford Smith of southern California, at work. below the toilet?  Suffice to say, ugly mess and overflowing waters.  Many towels relegated to rag bag and problem finally fixed, thanks to Stillwater Plumbing. BEARTOOTH LUMBER  has been a godsend, too, delivering much of our needed paint, lumber, drywall, stain and thousands of dollars worth of windows. Lunches and dinners have been a challenge -- with many extra people. But we're eating well. Keller's able colleagues have been flying in and out of San Diego. Don't despair.  Plants will grow back, and everything will be pretty again. All of this wouldn't have been so unnerving with both arms, but with one arm in a sling, result of an accident a few weeks ago, I'm moving more slowly. And I'm still in considerable pain from serious arm injury. CO-ORDINATING  schedules of the back-hoe man, septic tank man, plumber, roofer, and an array of Keller's talented California assistants has called upon my travel agent savvy, meditation skills, and extra helpings of Calms Forte. Good thing I've navigated the world and know how to arrange work times and schedules. Fixing meals for the gang -- nine workers here one day -- has taxed my imagination and resources. I think I have a dazed look on my face much of the time. Builder Tom Giamanco takes time to enjoy the west fork of the Stillwater,  and to keep in touch with his California friends and family.  NEXT UP :  Our two-parter on construction woes segues to tips for staying sane and keeping your relationship happy during a remodeling project.  Especially when you're living in the home you're improving upon, you need patience and good will toward one another. You also need to take time off to have a little fun. And you must look at the big picture:  the addition will be beautiful, the dust and disruption will disappear, and you'll be happy. We try to imbue our pieces with a sense of fun, and our travel stories with the spirit of innovation and adventure.  Remember to explore, learn and live and check us out Wednesdays and weekends at www.whereiscookie.com

Sander and saw in hand, Bruce Keller, a summer resident, embarks upon an incredible building journey at High Chaparral. KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE PRIZE AS YOU ENTER A MAJOR BUILDING PROJECT AND, OH, YES, BE NICE TO ONE ANOTHER! Demolition calls for a strong constitution and the knowledge that the chaos will end. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER IF I HAD KNOWN the full extent of the disruption, and the decline of my patience and mental health, would I have embarked upon this remodeling project in the wilds of Montana, miles from stores and materials and dependable help? Who knows?  Would we do most things that involve complication, unrest and tension?  Would we knowingly toss our routines and securities to the wind? Keller, Tom Giamanco, Bradford Smith clown at hat party.  All three hats represent various aspects of the construction project. The important fact: the new addition will be gorgeous.  I will have helped (a little, at least), and Keller, the maestro of this complicated orchestration, can rest on his laurels for the remainder of our lives. This San Diego native "cowboyed up" to a Montana project as large as the Big Sky he's come to love in eight summers here. KELLER IS A MASTER builder, familiar with the twists, turns, timing needs and difficulties of fitting all the pieces of the puzzle together. So he knew there would be glitches, delays, misunderstandings. He was not surprised at mistakes in orders, running short of cedar planks, errors in the course of the new rooms going up. From left, Brad, Tom and Keller enjoy lunch at High Chap.  I, foolish Cookie, expected everything to go smoothly. (From Keller's perspective, things did!) But in my business of writing, it's possible to make precise predictions.  If I were consistently late for appointments, as a couple workers have been, or if I made serious mistakes, as have happened a few times, I might lose my job. But good workers are hard to find, humans do make mistakes -- even the best in the business -- and orders don't always come in on time. Sometimes the wrong products are sent -- or the plumbing part, tool or window doesn't arrive in Absarokee -- 27 miles away, so a 54-mile round trip can be for naught. Billings means more miles and a day-long commitment. There were many trips there. A rafting adventure gave us a bit of needed R&R.   KNOWING A FEW  things will go wrong, and accepting that fact, then dealing with the situations, is a gift Keller has perfected through 40 years of being a builder and contractor supervisor.  He knows how to line up subs, fitting the pieces of the puzzle together into an intricate jigsaw puzzle.  He maintains good cheer, encourages his colleagues, listens to suggestions. (Except sometimes mine,  I contend.) Working and living in the same house one is remodeling is tough. People are in and out. Things get lost, misplaced, buried. The floor gets tracked with dirt from the digger, dry wall mud and dust.  Small Yorkshire terriers are constantly flinching as nail guns stutter and large tools are dropped or moved. Tom got to meet actor Gary Burthoff, "Radar," of M*A*S*H, at a party. Taking time to "smell the roses" -- a walk to the river, a drive in a Yellowstone Park bus, a silly time at a hat party -- all of these diversions have helped calm us and ease the tension.  We all enjoyed the recent benefit for Stillwater Protective Association at Montana Jack's, and had a fabulous time.  I made a point of fixing pleasant meals -- easy breakfasts and lunches and a tasty supper, and made sure there were cool drinks during the day and beers and wine after a 10 or 12-hour work day. Tom, painter Jim Slater, and Keller, play with Nick, Nora.   ONE NIGHT , the boys went to Gena Burghoff's birthday party the day after I sprained my arm, and met her dad, Gary Burghoff, known to millions as the amiable corporal Radar O'Reilly, on "M*A*S*H." All work and no play makes for a cranky Cookie and she notices the boys get cranky too if they don't have an occasional evening or afternoon off. Keep your spirits up, be nice to the contractor (he's exhausted and is doing a fabulous job!). The boys unwound on short, reviving hikes to the river, and spent time playing with the Yorkies, Nick and Nora. Big Sky Country's splendors await.  We'll share recent landscapes. COMING SOON :  We head up the California coast, enjoying some of our favorite waterfront hotels and restaurants, and we study the bird and animal life "home on the range" in our other favorite spot in the world, Big Sky Country, Montana! We try to give our pieces a sense of fun and offbeat adventure.  Remember to explore, learn and live.  Join us Wednesdays and weekends at   www.whereiscookie.com    l

COWBOY POETS, ART, FOOD AND DRINK ACCOMPANY NEEDED RAIN AT MONTANA JACK'S SPA BENEFIT Wally McRae and Paul Zarzyski, friends for decades, entertained the audience with their theatrical poetry renditions.  Franny Abbott of Fishtail Basin Ranch was one of SPA members and  volunteers helping man the food and drink stations at Montana Jack's. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER MAYBE THE RAIN gods were watching, for the waters came pouring from the heavens Saturday. Water conservation efforts were rewarded with a timely deluge, while cowboy poets strutted their stuff and volunteers poured wine and served appetizers for Stillwater Protective Association's fundraiser. Montana Jack's hosted the SPA's fundraiser Saturday, and the audience of several hundred was thankful to be dry under a tent. Thoughtfully, party organizers had installed the white cover over the poetry lovers' chairs. Poetry lovers and SPA members gathered to listen to poetry and trade stories. Warm and dry at Montana Jack's, SPA members and friends visited and drank. THE DOWNPOUR  came about half way into the lively poetry readings of rancher and raconteur Wally McRae and his sidekick and onetime rodeo star Paul Zarzyski. The two had so much fun it was contagious. Stillwater Protective Association, SPA, is dedicated to keeping its hand in many matters concerning land use and conservation. Preventing the devastating effects of oil and gas development is a major pursuit of the grassroots organization, whose members include ranchers, businessmen and a good showing of seasonal homeowners and part-timers. SPA does regular reviews of water quality to maintain the health of the Stillwater River watershed, and also monitors many other aspects of rural life. OTHER PURSUITS  include limiting the footprint of Beartooth Mine on the Beartooth Plateau and providing for the clean-up of mine waste and other industrial hazards. Through a unique "Good Neighbor Agreement," SPA, along with the Northern Plains Resource Council, Cottonwood Resource Council, and Stillwater Mining Company maintain the world's only legally binding agreement between citizen groups and a hard-rock mining company. Charles Sangmeister thanked a legion of faithful volunteers, tipping his cowboy hat to their efforts and dedication. SPA supporters, greeted people as they strolled from the parking lot -- "pre-rain" -- Although a final tally of profits was not available for this story's deadline, the event was deemed "a tidy success" by the Sangmeisters. Beauty in all seasons is the reason we all love Stillwater County.   THEY THANKED those who brought forth a wealth of contributions for both a silent and live auction. Paintings, goods and services ranged from landscape oils of the region by noted painters -- all of whom donated their art to the cause -- to raft trips, piano music and get-aways. ABLE AUCTIONEER  Brian Young of Dean, raised the rafters and some serious money for SPA endeavors.  He inherited his expertise and fast-talking patter from his dad, Rick Young, veteran auctioneer who also supported many community endeavors.  A new generation of auctioneers appears to be in the making as Brian's youngsters helped him on the stage! Brian Young, son of a veteran auctioneer, got the bidding going and art lovers took home bargains Saturday.  If you love the west, live here full or part time, and appreciate the precarious beauty we all enjoy, join Stillwater Protective Association.  You'll immediately become a member of the Northern Plains Resource Council, nationally known for its good work in promoting progressive energy use and protecting interests of farmers and ranchers. Send your check for a reasonable $50, to SPA, PO Box 106, Absarokee, MT 59001. COMING UP:  Remodeling a home while living in it has challenged Cookie.  Despite brilliant planning by master builder Keller, the disruption and chaos of adding a major addition take a toll.  Cookie reflects on the upheaval, looking to the future and the beauty of the finished project, with some tips on staying relatively sane during the process. We try to put a spin of fun and adventure on our writings about the world and our beloved homes in San Diego and Stillwater County. Check us out Wednesdays and weekends at: www.whereiscookie.com

You’ve got to love a town where National Public Radio news includes the morning surf report.  Start your San Diego day with the weather (usually gorgeous) then get tips on the waves and where to catch them.       When I listened to the Beach Boys in the 1960s, rockin’ out to “Good Vibrations,” I had no idea that some day I’d experience southern California culture as a resident.  Land-locked in the northern Rockies, I didn’t imagine that I’d be taking deep daily gulps of sea air, doing tai chi on the beach, watching the sun set in a new cove each evening, enjoying rich night life and a bonanza of terrific restaurants. Generally reveling in the privileges of residency with time to appreciate this unique town.         Although I’d visited a half-dozen times, these jam-packed vacations didn’t provide the leisure to get really acquainted with San Diego. Bruce Keller training for his diving instructor license, earned in 1976.       My partner is a native San Diegan – born at Mercy Hospital 20 years before my first visit to his town. He grew up with pomegranate juice on his chin and sand in his toes – a true beach boy.  While I was practicing my piano in Montana, humming “Surfer Girl”  (do you love me, do you, surfer girl?), he was paddling out into the Pacific.  He was (and is!) the real deal – sailor, surfer, deep sea diver.  Our garage boasts three surf boards.  This guy knows his fish, shells, coral, eels, barnacles, reefs, kelp beds and whales.  San Diegans take time to smell the roses.  Here Cookie, Nick and Nora enjoy.       It took me a few twists and turns to settle down in this civilized, user-friendly town.  Among the draws for me and a million others:  the year-round 60-to-70 degree climate and flowers, including fabulous roses, blooming year-round.  People smile here -- does the salt air make them nicer? They even say hello to a stranger.        Take a break from the computer and twitter.  Open the front door and you’ll hear birds tweeting in the palm trees.   Even the parking lots are landscaped.  Hummers (the winged kind) flit about in the mall shrubbery.      San Diego has fabulous food of every ethnic variety.  What’s your preference?  Greek, Thai, Italian?  Maybe sushi or barbecue.  Theater of every kind. Cutting edge contemporary drama, classical, musicals.  San Diego has it all.  You can see “Pygmalion” one day and an August Wilson work the next.  San Diego Musical Theatre is bringing two favorites back -- “Sound of Music” and “Chicago, and San Diego has sent more new plays and musicals to Broadway than any other U.S. town.  Vocal repertoire?  We’re hearing Bach Collegium’s Valentine program in Balboa Park tomorrow.  Nordic Voices from Scandinavia plays Feb. 10, making its Southern California debut here in San Diego.  San Diego Symphony produces a vibrant, varied season and San Diego Opera just finished a rousing run of Donizetti’s “Daughter of the Regiment.”        Live music offers a range of blues, jazz and rock and roll.  Our friend Jesus Soriano, a native of Madrid, plays gorgeous classical guitar a couple nights a week at Costa Brava in Pacific Beach, with the tastiest, most authentic tapas in town, served by European born waiters and reasonably priced.   Cookie and Keller at Costa Brava, enjoying tasty tapas and classical guitar  played  by Spaniard Jesus Soriano.      Garrison Keillor is spending Valentine’s Day here. The host of NPR’s “A Prairie Home Companion” will do a one-man show at Point Loma Nazarene University.   The list of famous folks who were born or lived in San Diego includes Robert Duvall, Tom Waits, Frank Zappa, Raquel Welch and Theodor Geisel of “Dr. Seuss” fame.  Quite a range of tastes and talent.      So here’s my Valentine to you, San Diego!  As my grandfather said, “I am as happy as if I were in my right  mind.” For me, that glorious state is induced by spending time here.  Nothing beats a Montana spring, but San Diego has spring year round.       Bring on those negative ions – they help my brain, calm me down.  In San Diego, I’m as relaxed as a Type-A Leo can be! I may not literally catch a wave, but I’m a contented armchair beach bum. Only wish I still had my T-bird! Fun. Fun. Fun.

If music be the food of love, play on!      Luckily for fans of early classical music, it's not too late to enjoy the brilliant Valentine offerings of the Bach Collegium San Diego.      More than 200 of us gathered Friday evening under the acoustically perfect arches of San Diego History Center in Balboa Park.      What a treat to enjoy the fruits of music director Ruben Valenzuela's devotion.      As founder, conductor and harsichordist of the decade-old endeavor, Valenzuela and company earned a standing ovation and bravos after treating the audience to a Bach contata, a half-dozen Henry Purcell works and pieces by Claudio Monteverdi and G. F. Handel, all with the seductive theme of love.      Love lost, love fulfilled, love complex! Balboa Park's San Diego History Center hosted offerings of Bach Collegium Friday night.  The ensemble encores Saturday in Rancho Santa Fe.-- photo by Bruce Keller      Ah, love, love, love -- richly interpreted by four talented singers and eight magnificent musicians with the elegance and expressive tone the holiday of love deserves.      An all-ages audience sat appreciatively then rose to its feet to applaud the rare talents of Valenzuela and a gifted ensemble.      Darryl Taylor's soulful countertenor contributions wowed the crowd and his Monteverdi duet with soprano Rebecca Kellerman Petretta had the audience buzzing at intermission.  Singers John Russell, tenor, and John Polhamus, bass, enhanced the evening's offerings.      Associate director and ancient music specialist, violinist Pierre Joubert -- standing as is the tradition -- helped lead the musicians through an evening of pleasure -- precisely rendered and evocative.  For this pianist and string player, it was an evening of riches, enhanced by the opportunity to appreciate Daniel Zuluaga's contributions on the engaging theorbo, a fascinating and mysterious 1580s instrument.  With its elaborate structure, this plucked string instrument harks to Renaissance Italy with a nod to Turkish instruments as well.      Kathryn Montoya's able oboe and recorder work, Sally Jackson's bassoon, Heather Vorwerck's cello and Janet Strauss on violin achieved a beauty and harmony with Shanon Zusman's constant support on contrabass and viola da gamba.      I'll venture this program is a "one of a kind" in California and perhaps nationally. How often do we have the chance to experience a jig, a hornpipe tune, a dance for the fairies? All in venues carefully chosen  by Valenzuela for their enhancement to his beloved favorite Renaissance, baroque and early-era music.      His love of the music and the harpsichord he brilliantly played put the icing on the Valentine's cake.  Volunteers and devotees capped the evening with truffles.  Could anything be sweeter?  So we adapt the line from "Twelfth Night" to express our heartfelt thanks:  play on! And sing on, too!        Nordic Voices will keep the vocal Valentine spirit flowing -- Sunday at 4 p.m. at St. James By-The Sea.      Bach Collegium plays tonight (Saturday, Feb. 9) at 7:30 p.m. in Rancho Santa Fe Performing Arts Center with a pre-concert discussion led by Valenzuela at 6:45 p.m. For details, go to info@bachcollegiumsd.org .        And to gild the musical lily, catch Nordic Voices Sunday at 4 p.m. in La Jolla at St. James by-the-Sea.  The southern California debut of this award-winning sextet from Norwway features secular and sacred music. The setting is the picturesque and beloved venue at 743 Prospect, La Jolla.                                                                           Tickets are $25.  More at sjbts.org

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS      PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER    Winter in the northern Rockies can be magnificent and frightening. It can appear quickly with a temperature drop of 50 or 60 degrees.  Not for the faint of heart.  Or sissies. An elderly neighbor has seen snow all twelve months of the year in the Beartooths. High Chaparral after a light snow. Bruce Keller photos      Winter can also be a time of unparalleled beauty, encouraging reflection and meditation. One memorable, unusually warm February evening, I took a cup of tea on the porch to admire the full moon. I  tossed a sweater over my shoulders and breathed deeply of the chinook wind. Change was in the air.  The Yorkies sniffed it!  We woke up the next morning to a couple feet of new snow.      Here in balmy San Diego now, I'm thinking of my snowbound New England cousins and friends and hoping they're safe and warm.      And I'm recalling that treasured time a couple winters ago, with 18 inches of new snow and more coming at High Chaparral in the beautiful Beartooths.      The power went out.  I could see the sagging lines.  The pine boughs around my granite memorial were weighted down to ground level.  It snowed for three days.  I had no phone, no electricity, no heater, three shovels and two perplexed Yorkshire terriers who wanted no part of the great outdoors.  Dug a "medicine wheel" in the snow near the door, kept it cleared and taught Nick and Nora to transit it to do their business.  Had a bounty of fresh running spring water from the pump out front.  Cooked lamb chops and apple sauce on the wood stove.   Cookie collecting firewood      Made a comfy bed in the living room and closed off the upstairs to keep the three of us warm. Fashioned a "frig" out front on the porch for the perishables so I didn't have to open and compromise the freezer or indoor frig.  Had six gallons of water in the wine cellar so with the pump water, had plenty for hygiene, flushing the toilet. Kept Gran's old copper tea pot full on the wood stove. Lit brother Rick's hand-painted porcelain lamps for reading my New Yorker in the evening.  No computer of course, but wrote in my journals, produced a couple decent poems.  Lots of firewood to keep the wood stove going, thanks to Keller's and Rick's cutting of three large downed cottonwoods in the last days of fall. Got word through to Keller, friends and family that I was safe, through a neighbor who dug out and drove to Billings. Rose with the sun.  Slept better than I had in years.  I was truly sorry to see the snow plow show up and hear the phone ring. (Please tell your friends about this piece and others in whereiscookie.com ) watch our Dolphin Video for Valentine's Day    click here >>>> Dolphin Video on You Tube

Morning sun lights up the port of Alexandria, Egypt.  -- Photo by Bruce Keller Just a note to let you know that our Middle East feature is available for viewing -- Cookie's story and Keller's fabulous photos.   Please enjoy (click the link below or copy and paste into your browser).  And please remember to sign up for our posts, which include our travels both internationally and locally with lots of good stuff on nature, theater, art, film and "Downton Abbey." The information is at: whereiscookie.com Sign up if you'd like to get our newsletters. It's briefly a bit cumbersome but a couple of quick steps secure your privacy! Coming soon:  communing with the migrating grey whales and San Diego's fertile theater scene and its Broadway connections. Here's the link on the Middle East newspaper feature: http://billingsgazette.com/lifestyles/leisure/visit-to-middle-east-finds-people-wanting-to-live-and/article_3f6c1690-1c70-588d-b676-f2f787117f01.html

Actor Sam Waterston this summer as Prospero in "The Tempest," at New York's Shakespeare in the Parks.  ACTORS, AUDIENCE  HAVE STAYED UPRIGHT ------- STILL IN THE SADDLE AND RIDING HIGH STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS VIEWING  ''Rancho Deluxe" again after 40 years is like thumbing through an old, favorite family scrapbook. It's worn and a bit faded, but it's as welcome as a nightcap after a long day's toil. It stirs memories and inevitable "oohs and aahs." As one friend said, "Everything's good about it -- except that we're all 40 years older." Watching the 1975 film, we're naturally reminded of our own aging. But so what? Montana resident Jeff Bridges with his Oscar for "Crazy Heart." TO CELEBRATE our own memories of the filming of this made-in-Montana relic, we gathered a few friends -- of the same approximate vintage as the actors, most a few years younger. Several of the talented cast has gone to that great performance hall in the sky.  The others have aged well, we agreed.  And we of the audience are holding our own. So it was an evening of laughter and nostalgia, with familiar scenery, lively Jimmy Buffett music, delightful acting, a script both wise and witty, and plenty of made in Montana humor. Elizabeth Ashley, left, with the title character in "Agnes of God" on Broadway in 1984. PART OF THE  pleasure in seeing this charming film four decades later is in having watched the stars succeed in the slippery shadows of show business. I've had the good fortune to interview several of the key players, to attend premiers as film, TV and theater reviewer and to preview their work on Broadway and television. In the script, written by Montana's Tom McGuane, Jeff Bridges and Sam Waterston play a pair of cocky cattle rustlers named Jack McKee (Bridges) and Cecil Colson (Waterston). Elizabeth Ashley plays the female lead of Cora, wife of a wealthy rancher.  She provides many laughs with her caustic asides, closet drinking and smoldering "nobody's fool" attitude. (I've seen her on stage in several Tennessee Williams plays since then, and on Broadway as the psychiatrist in "Agnes of God," and in "August, Osage County." Always a treat to watch this versatile, accomplished actor.) BRIDGES IS  young and baby-faced as a clever misfit, a preview of the roles for which he'd win acclaim in his long career. Waterston is understated and wry as his part-Indian sidekick. The late Slim Pickens was a real rodeo cowboy and provides an authentic character in "Rancho Deluxe."  It's been fun to see Bridges at events in Los Angeles, where he is respected not only for his acting, but for having a strong marriage and successful family life in an environment not known for either trait. I was delighted to see him win the Oscar for "Crazy Heart." Waterston is known on TV for his "Law and Order" and Abe Lincoln mini-series.  But I enjoy him more in Shakespeare in the Parks, where this summer his wisdom and wit as the marooned sorcerer Prospero in "The Tempest" won raves.  Like many of today's fine actors, he came up through the stage and is returning to it in his older years. (He is 74; Bridges is a younger 65.) AS THE THIEVES  steal cattle from wealthy rancher John Brown, Harry Beigh is called in (Slim Pickens.) Clifton James is a hoot as the rancher -- the actor is alive and well at 94.  Watching him and Pickens go after the two young rustlers is chief among the movie's pleasures.  The bombastic Brown and Beigh (a former rustler) provide a merry kick in the pants. Enter hapless ranch hands with rhyming names of Burt and Curt: Harry Dean Stanton and Richard Bright furnish giggles as they fail to capture the thieves. Pickens died in 1983, famous for riding the bomb in "Dr. Strangelove." A rodeo cowboy for 20 years, he's the "real deal" and his is is the most authentic character in the picture. All four supporting players garnered fine reviews for "Rancho Deluxe." One critic said McGuane wrote the script "purely out of a desire to keep from fallin’ asleep” (mimicking rustler Jack’s definition of capitalism) but our group of movie aficionados found the writing engaging and the characters and their shenanigans entertaining. Best of all, we loved seeing Montana on screen. The film's beautiful footage of Paradise Valley includes a scene at Chico Hot Springs, and another when the helicopter spots the rustlers. We marveled at the film's lovely lighting by William Fraker and we tapped our toes to the Jimmy Buffet score -- written before he gained Margaritaville fame and a following of Parrotheads. Downtown Livingston is there, too, and it's fun to see the familiar Depot, restaurants and Murray Hotel, which have aged as well as the actors. COMING UP -  Come visit Paradise Point with us, in San Diego, on picturesque Mission Bay.                                                                                                     --Bruce Keller photo PARADISE ON PARADE:   San Diego's  Paradise Point Resort is a place of relaxation, beauty and peace of mind.  Come sailing with us in one of southern California's most desirable locals.  We'll guide you through a calming afternoon on Mission Bay, based from a beautiful 44-acre private island with a mile of sandy beach.  And believe it or not -- one of our favorite resorts is less than seven miles from downtown San Diego and the airport.  Come on over -- and remember to explore, learn and live. Catch us weekends and Wednesdays at  www.whereiscookie.com .

Sofiero Palace and Gardens in Helsingborg, Sweden, opens its gates for a three-day festival. Vendors set up late Thursday. Dahlias the size of dinner plates are wet with morning dew at Sofiero. Stunning Sofiero Palace and Gardens -- Europe's most beautiful park -- invites people in for a weekend festival STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER A clump of climbing roses forms a Valentine heart at 'Europe's most beautiful park' a title earned by the palace and grounds in 2010. WHEN KING  Gustav VI Adolf planted his first rhododendren in 1907, he had no idea how his handiwork and love of gardening would blossom. This weekend's huge festival invites the public to Sofiero Palace and Gardens, one of Sweden's most popular attractions.  On the grounds that host world class entertainers such as Sting, thousands of Swedes plus Danes from across the Sound are enjoying the palace's annual Garden Festival, a treat for the senses. Jazz musicians were setting up Thursday evening, along with gardeners, artists, craftsmen and caterers from across Sweden. THE PUBLIC  is flocking to buy bulbs and cuttings, potted plants and bouquets while lunching on their own goodies or sampling dozens of ethnic food vendors' specialties. Lovely Helsingborg is just across the sound from Denmark. King Gustav Adolf who  died in 1973, photographed at Sofiero Palace. After Thursday's rains subsided, dozens of vendors began setting up a festival at Sofiero Palace. SOFIERO  was one of the Swedish royal families country mansions, bought from a farmer in 1864 by Crown Prince Oscar of Sweden. The royals enjoyed it as a get-away -- and created a feeling of countryside within the grounds, right in the center of Helsingborg. While it was beloved by several of Oscar's descendants, the royal who made it famous and beloved by the public was Oscar's grandson, future King Gustav VI Adolf, who with his wife Crown Princess Margaret turned it into a spectacular park and garden, planting over 400 varieties of rhododendron and designing spectacular gardens along a picturesque stream leading to an outdoor nook where they took afternoon tea. Rhododendrons flower over a magnificent ravine and frame the Sofiero Palace Gardens, where organic produce is grown.   WHEN MARGARET  died and Gustav eventually remarried Lady Louise Moutbatten, it became their official summer residence.  They began the tradition of "open houses," one of which is unfolding now through Sunday in form of a famous festival. (The city of Helsingborg has operated the castle and grounds since Gustav's death in 1973 when he willed it to the city for public enjoyment.) IT TRULY  is a wonderland, a riot of color and floral abundance.  Dahlias the size of dinner plates stand upright with help of wooden stakes cleverly driven into the ground beneath the foliage. Hundreds of multi-colored fuchsia hang their heads in elegant excess. Roses climb up trellises and clump in fetching shapes -- several reminding of Valentine hearts. Bulbs for sale at Sofiero Palace in Sweden catch Cookie's eye. On our Thursday visit, we enjoyed bee blossom, wild carrot, poppies still abloom in almost September, and displays of every kind of bulb and tuber, adding to the draw of this southern Sweden outdoor event. THIS GRAND  weekend festival of flowers in Helsingborg, Sweden, is testimony that 150 years of tradition and love of gardening can bridge the gap between classes, continents and generations. For more: www.sofiero.se Mystic View Cabins invite you to travel from a Scandinavian garden fest to the wonders of  rural Montana.  COMING SOON : Mystic View Cabins in rural Montana, USA, offer another kind of splendor, thousands of miles from Scandinavia.  Our time travelers zip back and forth across the oceans, to sample the good life -- today in Sweden, and soon, in the Beartooth Mountains of Montana, where cabins near Fishtail offer solitude, natural wonders and a place to recharge and rejuvenate.  Remember to explore, learn and live and catch us Wednesdays and weekends at: www.whereiscookie.com

Paradise Point Resort is less than seven miles from downtown San Diego, and offers a tropical world of pleasure. Cookie emerges from the galley, having prepared a snack. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER AT PARADISE  Point Resort, time truly stops. The beauty of the sea, the peacefulness of the waves, the suspension of time, all create a beautiful, insulating serenity that calls one back again and again. So it was with a summer sailing from the Point with our friends, Dawn and Phyllis. Mission Bay Yacht Club race with spinnakers flying, as seen from our boat rented at Paradise Point Resort.   We four began a calming day on Mission Bay, strolling the gangway to the boat rentals, past vacationers and diners and lovers of beauty.  The resort is always humming with activity -- jet skiing, boating and kayaking.  We enjoy the restaurant and myriad activities the tropical atmosphere suggests -- even fish-watching from the bridge. "Cap'n Keller" in center, enjoys a relaxing sail with Dawn, left, and Phyllis. OUR FAVORITE  way to enjoy the Bay is from Paradise Point, where we charter a boat, throw in a picnic and leave our worries behind. We sail as often as time and money allow. Sometimes it's just the two of us; other times, we treat friends and family. No one is satisfied with one outing on the water! Sailing is a time-honored cure for the blues, an antidote for almost anything that ails you! IT IS GLORIOUS .  On this peaceful saltwater lagoon, I've been introduced to Keller's past.  He lived in several places on Mission Bay as a college kid and employee of the beloved Aquatic Center where he was involved in a cause to preserve Interlude, a boat with a place in the hearts of several generations. (The beloved boat is in dry dock now.) Mission Bay is unusual, as one of the largest waterparks of its kind in the world. It is 4,200 acres of land and water, surrounded by 27 miles of shoreline of sandy beaches, attractive people and abundant bird life. Our favorite Paradise Point Resort is an important part of that. On its own  4 4-acre private island with a mile of sandy beach, this picturesque resort is just seven miles from downtown San Diego Paradise Point Resort offers a choice of rental boats and  various other equipment for reasonable prices. Interconnected by a network of waterways, inlets and islets, Keller's favorite bay is best explored by boat... (with Keller at the helm.) Our second choice is by the region's progressive bike paths. FROM MISSION  Bay and Paradise Point, we've watched families barbecuing on the water, couples doing yoga or sharing a picnic, strolling, kayaking, jogging and taking in the internationally known spectacle of SeaWorld. To book a room at Paradise Point Resort, go to www.paradisepoint.com  Lessons and skippers are available if you don't do your own sailing, along with motorboats, jetskiis, paddleboats and kayaks. To check rentals and other Paradise Point options out,  go to www.actionsportrentals.com Check out Mystic View Cabins if you want a quiet, romantic weekend or have an overflow of guests as we recently did at a family reunion. Up next.   NEXT UP:  Mystic View Cabins not far from High Chaparral provided a beautiful setting for the overflow   during a recent family reunion of nearly 30 people. The lovely, rustic cabins near Mystic Lake, on Fiddler Creek and West Rosebud Road have much to offer for serenity, beauty and all the comforts of home. Remember to explore, love and learn and catch us weekends and Wednesdays at:  www.whereiscookie.com

Rock Creek Resort has an Old World charm, enhanced by its owners' European roots and sensibilities.  ROCK CREEK RESORT OFFERS OLD WORLD CHARM, REVISITS A GENTLER TIME OF HOTEL HOSPITALITY A columbine at the lobby entrance trumpets your arrival. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER Bikes are a leisurely way to enjoy the scenery at Rock Creek Resort. WHEN ROCK CREEK  Resort began to create the legendary place it is today, owner Pepi Gramshammer drew from childhood memories of Alpine scenery and the food of his native Austria. He was a young man with an ambitious idea. Hailing from Innsbruck, Austria, he was a championship ski racer, internationally known. While his athletic abilities were well established, he was also becoming a fine amateur cook, developing a taste for  gastronomic pleasures. Enter, Piney Dell, which I first visited as a youngster with my parents and grandparents. Gramshammer and his wife Sheika are proud owners of Rock Creek Resort, on which the charming restaurant -- now Old Piney Dell -- resides. The place's ties to Pepi go back to the 1960s when he purchased a small restaurant and bar already on the premises. Today's Rock Creek Resort includes Old Piney Dell and offers outdoor activities one would expect in an alpine resort abroad or in any upscale mountain-surrounded locale. In the European tradition, Gramshammer has integrated cultural experiences, shopping, scenic drives, and more into the appeal for his resort. Old Piney Dell goes back decades, and was a favorite of this reporter's family as she grew up in the 1960s. Beartooth Lodge was added to the resort in the 1970s when the owner branched out and determined there was a calling for cozy lodging as well as fine food. NOW IN his 80s, he no longer gets to Red Lodge much.  But Sheika makes regular visits to inspect the property and insure high standards are enforced.  The couple also owns and operates Hotel Gasthof Gramshammer in Vail, Colorado, which they began developing around the same time Pepi scouted out Piney Dell. When he first came to Red Lodge more than 50 years ago, he fell in love with the area and its signature mountains. He started a ski race camp up on top of the Beartooth Pass, and bought the restaurant as a way to feed his racers.  Its popularity grew and he returned each year to build up the restaurant's growing clientele. WHEN PEPI purchased the property, the much loved restaurant and bar were already in place. The building -- now more than 90 years old --  evolved from a homesteader’s cabin built in the 1920s. The ambiance is rustic and friendly.  The menu features fresh fish, steaks and pastas, with a nod to the schnitzel and veal of Pepi's upbringing. Old-fashioned, cordial service is a point of pride. Pepi Gramshammer built Rock Creek Resort up from a small, rustic restaurant and bar to a world class resort with fine dining. GUESTS OF the restaurant were thrilled when the dining enterprise   got the complement of lodging in the 1970s.  Responding to requests for overnight facilities, Pepi began development of the resort.  He first built he Grizzly Condos to house the ski racers. Over the decades he added Rock Creek Town Homes, Stoney Cabin, Beartooth Lodge and finally the log building Twin Elk. TAKING A CUE  from Europeans' pleasure in nature, Rock Creek is designed for lovers of the outdoors.  The creek from which the place takes its name is right out the window, and our favorite rooms have views of the rushing waters. If staying put, watching birds, sipping a cuppa or glass of wine are your ideals, Rock Creek is your place. Soak in a hot tub, rejuvenate in the sauna, swim laps in the large heated pool or work off a Piney Dell dinner in the gym -- if you dare. Rock Creek gives its name to a popular resort near Red Lodge. THE WEEKEND  we visited in mid-July, a family from Maryland was enjoying the catch and release fishing pond. An older couple celebrated an anniversary in the restaurant. A young couple planned a wedding -- the place offers spacious reception facilities. It also offers volleyball court, bikes, playground, a soccer field and hiking out the back door. Nearby Red Lodge offers shopping, art galleries, a historical museum, restaurants, and lively taverns. Plan a stay around popular events including the Christmas Stroll, Winter Carnival, Fourth of July Home of Champions Rodeo, the Beartooth Rally, the Festival of Nations, and Oktoberfest. For a calendar of local events, visit RedLodge.com . Call the resort at 406 446-1111. Reservations are recommended at Old Piney Dell by calling 406 446-1196. A Barbara Adams landscape of Bridger Creek features sky blues and greens. COMING UP :  Montana Meadowlark Photography offers fresh, poetic images of the landscape we all love, the scenes that attract us to Montana. Barbara Adams jumps in her car and takes off, guided by her love of Big Sky Country.  She spends the day looking for the perfect clouds or a pair of horses at play.  Remember to explore, learn and live and have a look at her imaginative work next up at www.whereiscookie.com